Comb cleaner embodying a casing and spring retracted flexible element



April 8, 1952 2,592,145

F. E. HUMMEL COMB CLEANER EMBODYING A CASING AND SPRING RETRACTED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT Filed Jan. 7,

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Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMB CLEANER EMBODYIN G A CASING AND SPRING RETRACTED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning combs and has for its primary object to provide an inexpensive compact unit well adapted to serve its intended purpose and having stron appeal as a novelty, in addition to being highly eflicient in operation.

In the drawings which accompany this specification:

Fig. I is a perspective exterior view of acombcleaning kit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken at line 45 of Fig-2. Fig; 5 is a detail view of a bearing member.

The comb cleaner illustrated in Figs. 1-4 comprises a housing II] which may be a. tube of indurated fibre, plastic or metal or any other appropriate material of sufficient toughness and rigidity.

Mounted within housing It) and co-axial therewith is a shaft I I which is journaled in bearings I2, consisting each of a length of stiff spring wire formed to provide a central loop I3, the eye of which is proportioned to receive one end of the shaft I I. In order that the latter may be restrained against inordinate lengthwise displacement, it is reduced in diameter at the bearing areas to form grooves which afford thrust shoulders at either side of the loops I3. With this construction it is necessary either to form loops I3 with the shaft I I in place or to twist the bearing members so as to open the loops for insertion of the shaft. If the bearing members I2 are made of suitably tempered wire, the loops can be sufliciently opened for insertion of the shaft without distorting the wire beyond the elastic limit.

The two end portions of bearing members I2 are bent to form shoulders at I4 which fit accurately within the bore of housing It] so as to properly center shaft II, and also form lugs I5 which project through small apertures in housing I and thereby function to secure the bearing members in place. The overall length of each bearing member I2 should be only a little greater than the bore diameter of housing I0 so that said bearing members can be pushed into place from the open ends of the housing without excessive distortion.

A torsion spring I6 encircles shaft II and is attached thereto at one end while its other end is anchored to the adjacent bearing member I2. Rotation of the shaft serves to twist said spring which, upon being so twisted, stores up energy to,

in turn, rotate the shaft back to its normal position of rotation.

A web I8 consists of aseriesof laterally spaced threads or strings which are adapted to enterindividually the interstices. betweenadjacent teeth of a comb and is capable of being; manipulated in a manner effective. to dislodge any accumulation of detritus between the teeth. The web I8 is provided with a. rod or dowel I 9 at its outer endand, of course, is attached at its inner end to shaft I I. The ends of said web preferably are woven to form a substantial fabric consisting of Warp and woof. This facilitates attaching the web to the shaft and to rod I9.

Means for mounting and supporting a comb exteriorly of the housing in a position to be operated upon by the strings or threads forming web I8, comprise two hook-like brackets 2'2, 22 at tached to the outside of the housing and adapted 'to form rests for the back edge of the comb. The comb is indicated in dot-dash outline in Fig. 3 and identified by reference numeral 23.

Telescoped into each end of tubular housing II! are two metal cup-like plugs 24. These are held in place frictionally, and each has a slotlike opening 25 (see Fig. 4) which registers with a similar opening 26 in the housing. Brackets 21, each welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface of one of the plugs 24, each forms an anchorage for a spring steel strip 28, which is wound spirally about said bracket and extends through the openings 25 and 2B. Said spring steel strips are bent at their outer ends to form hooks 29 which are adapted to embrace the free ends of the comb teeth, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The two strips 28 are tensioned inwardly, which is to say in the direction tending to draw them into the position depicted in Fig. 4. Thus, when said strips are engaged with a comb, as shown in Fig. 1, they serve to press the comb against the brackets 22 and thereby hold the same in place.

With the comb clamped in position, as shown, the web I8 is drawn out of the housing sufliciently to enable the strings or threads thereof to be moved laterally into the interstices of the comb teeth. The web is then moved back and forth and in and out, as indicated by the directional arrows on Fig. 3, with the result that the detritus is completely dislodged.

While I have shown for purposes of illustration only one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications within the scope and spirit of my inventive concept, and I do not wish to be 3 limited save as indicated by the terms of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A comb-cleaning device comprising: a tubular housing, bracket means secured to the exterior of said housing for mounting a comb thereon in position to be cleaned, a pair of inserts forming removable closures for the respective ends of said housing, a pair of spirally wound flat springs, each anchored at one end to one of said inserts and having a free end portion extending outwardly of the housing, each said free end portion being bent to form a hook adapted to engage and bear endwise against the teeth of a comb mounted on said bracket means in such manner as to clamp the comb in the aforementioned position, a rotatable shaft disposed within and extending lengthwise of said housing, an elongate web secured at one end to said shaft and wound thereon, the free end of said web passing through a slot in said housing to the exterior thereof, said web comprising a pluralit of laterally spaced threads or strings extending lengthwise of theweb and adapted to enter the interstices of the comb teeth, a retracting spring connected to said shaft, said web being operative to rotate said shaft in one direction upon being withdrawn from the housing, the rotation of said shaft in said one direction being effective to tension said spring, said spring being operative by reason of said tensioning to rotate said shaft in the opposite direction and thereby draw said web back into the housing.

2. A comb-cleaning device comprising, in combination: a tubular housing, a pair of brackets secured to the exterior of said housing for mounting a comb thereon in position for cleaning, a

pair of inserts forming removable closures for the respective ends of said housing, a pair of spirally wound flat springs, each anchored at one end to one of said inserts and having a hooked free end portion extending outwardly of the housing, said hooked end portions being adapted to engage and bear endwise against the teeth of a comb mounted on said brackets, in such manner as to clamp the comb in the aforementioned position, a rotatable shaft disposed within and extending lengthwise of said housing, an elongate web secured at one end to said shaft and wound thereon, the free end of said web passing through a slot in said housing to the exterior thereof, said web comprising a plurality of laterally spaced threads or strings extending lengthwise of the web and adapted to enter the interstices of the comb teeth, a helical retracting spring encircling said shaft and connected thereto at one end, said web being operative to rotate said shaft in one direction upon being withdrawn from the housing, the rotation of said shaft in said one direction being eifective to wind said spring, said spring being operative by reason of said winding to rotate said shaft in the opposite direction and thereby draw said web into the housing.

FREDERICK E. HUMMEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

